Paul George said the Pacers trade stopped his dream of joining the Lakers in 2018 free agency: “I would have been in a Lakers uniform” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
In September 2013, Paul George signed a five-year max extension with the Indiana Pacers, which will keep him in the league through the 2017-18 season. Fans know that the contract was never complete
However, what’s less known is that had PG-13 played it out and entered free agency, he would have joined only one team — the Los Angeles Lakers. In October 2018, George revealed that his path would’ve been crystal clear without the Pacers trading him to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2017 offseason.
“I wanted to play in L.A. That is where I wanted to go. Had that trade never went down, had I played one more year in Indy, I would have been in a Lakers uniform,” revealed the 6’8″ swingman, per ESPN.
Lakers dreams
PG-13 was born in Palmdale, California, and grew up a fan of both Los Angeles NBA teams, especially idolizing the late Kobe Bryant, a Lakers icon. Yet the Purple and Gold never became George’s own NBA home.
Drafted 10th overall in 2010, the former Fresno State player began his league career with the Pacers and stayed through his rookie contract. After signing an extension, Paul remained in Indiana but eventually requested a trade following the 2016–17 campaign. Still, the Lakers didn’t become his team, as the reigning All-Star was traded to the Thunder just months later.
A stint in Oklahoma could have been a brief stop — a single season before returning home to the Lakers once his contract ended. But it didn’t play out that way.
PG-13 quickly came to appreciate his time with the Thunder. The then 28-year-old reportedly enjoyed partnering with fellow superstar Russell Westbrook, valued the team’s loyalty after the trade, and felt optimistic about what they could build together.
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California homecoming
PG-13 called it a “50-50” decision — whether to return “home,” which he wanted, or stay in the situation he was in. Most fans assumed the 2013 MiP would end up with the Lakers. But while on stage with Westbrook and rapper Nas, George made the opposite clear.
“If y’all didn’t quite get it, I’m here to stay,” he said to a cheering crowd, per the NY Times. “I’m here to stay.”
Paul’s future finally seemed settled as he signed a four-year, $137 million contract with the Thunder. But soon, things changed again.
After Kawhi Leonard won a title with the Toronto Raptors, he reached out to his fellow Californian — and with success. PG-13 requested a trade from the Thunder, and both stars returned home not to the Lakers, but to the Clippers.
Instead of signing with the team he had long targeted, George joined the city rival. Many considered it a smart move, and the 2019 steals leader himself thought so too, stating how dominant a duo he and Kawhi would be. Yet on the court, results fell short.
During that five-year span, the Clippers’ best postseason run was a 2021 Western Conference Finals loss to the Phoenix Suns. Certainly not what anyone close to the organization had hoped for.
It does, however, raise the thought: if Paul had stayed one more year with the Pacers and then joined the Lakers, would he — still ringless and now with the Philadelphia 76ers — have a championship title? It’s one of those “what if” scenarios that, unfortunately, will never be answered.
Related: “George’s tweets from earlier were thoughtless and without regard” – When Larry Bird blasted Paul George for making controversial remarks on social media
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared.